-Words by Jane Mundy Photography by Don Denton

Walking through the door of ., youB次元官网网址檙e immediately bathed in the sweet scents of butterscotch and buttercream and vanilla. That gives you a happy feeling and thatB次元官网网址檚 one reason baker/owner Deb Cater is so good at her job.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 satisfying to make nice things for people and be a part of their celebrations,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淚 can decorate cakes with notations like B次元官网网址榃ill You Marry MeB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址楬appy First Birthday,B次元官网网址� and this past Christmas we made 90 Yule logsB次元官网网址攊tB次元官网网址檚 also rewarding to be a part of family traditions.B次元官网网址�

And baking is definitely a Cater family tradition, Deb says: B次元官网网址淚 learned from my mom, and cake is part of my cultureB次元官网网址攅veryone in England eats more cake. Now my husband and I run the bakery, and I am so thankful to my two daughters who have helped make our family affair a success.B次元官网网址�

She adds, B次元官网网址淚 grasped the basic principles of baking as a kid and itB次元官网网址檚 now ingrained in me. I understand the science of baking soda and baking powder but I couldnB次元官网网址檛 explain itB次元官网网址擨 really admire teachers.B次元官网网址�

Inspired by her teachers at art school, Deb learned how to create novelty cakes for cash; she was able to B次元官网网址渕ake something that looks and tastes good.B次元官网网址� Next up, she moved to Vancouver as a nanny and made cakes for people in upscale Shaughnessy, which led to an apprenticeship with a French pastry chef.

B次元官网网址淗e was old school,B次元官网网址� Deb recalls. B次元官网网址淗e cracked the whip and threw the rolling pin, but I was determined to learn and I stayed a few years.B次元官网网址�

Deb thought about enrolling in culinary school, but B次元官网网址渄idnB次元官网网址檛 want to go by the book.B次元官网网址� Instead, she landed a job at a German bakery. She was soon in charge and could make what she wantedB次元官网网址攁s long as it sold.

Deb followed her other passionB次元官网网址攚indsurfingB次元官网网址攖o Victoria in 1989. At that time there wasnB次元官网网址檛 a local bakery offering cakes to restaurants so she started knocking on doors.

B次元官网网址淚 sold cakes from my home kitchen and nobody died so it was okay,B次元官网网址� Deb says, laughing. B次元官网网址淚 met so many people who were supportive and encouragingB次元官网网址攍ike Gilbert. He had a little deli where I worked at night and he charged rent based on what I sold. He made it possible for me to carry on. And it also helped that he knew all the chefs in town who bought my cakes.B次元官网网址�

Now years later, Deb still makes what she wants because everything sells at Cakes Etc. But she spends lot of time on research and development, trial and error. For instance, creating dairy-free Black Forest cake was a challenge: it took two dozen tries until they got it right. Now itB次元官网网址檚 popular even with dairy lovers; itB次元官网网址檚 moist and delicious without that (somewhat vaguely vegan) chemical taste. And how do you come up with something dairy-free that resembles whipping cream? Answer: make a custard from oat milk, whip margarine to incorporate air and combine. The Black Forest cake is proof that it works.

Fifty per cent of DebB次元官网网址檚 business is wholesale and it results from quite a production. Pallets are packed five feet high with sacks of flour and oats. Twenty-six dozen vegan cookies (they are way beyond the proverbial bakerB次元官网网址檚 dozen) are spinning inside a floor-to-ceiling convection oven and another large (and expensive) piece of equipment is the sheeter, which looks like a giant ironing board and rolls dough to make every cookie uniform and speeds up the process. Lucille Ball wouldnB次元官网网址檛 get a job here.

At 11 am, a steady stream of customers arrives to pick up their cake orders, and who can resist a whoopie cookie or a pumpkin scone resting on tasteful wood and pewter platters? And everyoneB次元官网网址攊ncluding StarbucksB次元官网网址攏eeds a package of Cakes Etc.B次元官网网址檚 signature oat bars. The Fruit Symphony cake, towering between coconut mango and Sicilian lemon cakes in the display case, looks too gorgeous to eat.

I choose the latterB次元官网网址攖he luscious lemon curd and cream between five layers of the vanilla sponge is amazingly light, almost ethereal. With one bite, visions of sugar plums dance in my head.

Dave and Marion Freeman have been regular customers since 1993, when Cakes Etc. first opened on Esquimalt Road (itB次元官网网址檚 now located at 2821 Quesnel Street).

B次元官网网址淓very Friday afternoon we get two slices of cheesecakeB次元官网网址攊tB次元官网网址檚 nice that you donB次元官网网址檛 have to buy a whole cake and that Deb comes up with new recipes,B次元官网网址� says Dave. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e tried everything, and our current fave is the chocolate torte. We also love coming here because all the staff are so pleasantB次元官网网址擟akes Etc. is a class act.B次元官网网址�

Deb offers up some advice for home bakers, saying, B次元官网网址淛ump in the deep endB次元官网网址攚hat is the worst thing that could happen? You try again.B次元官网网址�

She adds, B次元官网网址淢aybe start with muffins and not puff pastry. Find a recipe that you can make with a spoon rather than a mixer so that you donB次元官网网址檛 over-mix. And follow the recipe well. Make sure your oven is calibrated and donB次元官网网址檛 keep opening and slamming the oven door as my daughters do. And check your ingredients for B次元官网网址榖est beforeB次元官网网址� dates: I made a mistake baking bread with old yeast a few weeks ago. Above all, have a lot of fun and make a mess!B次元官网网址�

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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